Region 5 Superfund (SF)

U.S. EPA REGION 5
GENESEE COUNTY
SWARTZ CREEK

Congressional District # 5

BERLIN & FARRO

EPA ID# MID000605717
Last Updated: April, 2008

Site Description

The Berlin and Farro facility is a fenced 40-acre site approximately 3.5 miles south of the town of Swartz Creek in Genesee County, Michigan.  Primary land use in the area consists of agricultural row crops and small woodlands.  The property is zoned for residential and agricultural use.  Residences are located within about 500 feet of the northeast and southeast boundaries of the site.  Approximately 80 permanent residences are located with a 0.5 mile radius of the Site.  There are no known endangered species or critical habitats within close proximity of the Site.

Berlin and Farro Liquid Incineration, Inc. began operations at the site in April 1971.  The facility was permitted to accept industrial waste for incineration, to store waste prior to incineration, and to operate an on-site 1.1 acre landfill for disposal of crushed used drums.  Numerous violations of permit requirements were cited during the period of operation, until September 1975 when Berlin and Farro lost its operating permit for the incinerator.  The facility also operated two unauthorized waste storage lagoons and two unlined storage lagoons, illegally buried five tanks of waste water, buried liquid wastes, operated underground storage tanks, poured liquid waste onto subsurface agricultural drains and dumped thousands of gallons of barreled wastes into two pits.  These permit violations and unpermitted activities led to Berlin and Farro's incinerator and landfill permits being revoked on September 16, 1975.

From 1975 until 1978, while the permit revocations were under appeal, Berlin and Farro was permitted by the Sate of Michigan to transport industrial wastes for other generators, but not to transport wastes to its own site.  State investigations indicated that illegal dumping of industrial wastes into the lagoons apparently continued after 1975.  In 1978, Berlin and Farro's appeal of its permit revocation failed and in 1980, Berlin and Farro filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.

 

Site Responsibility

This site is being addressed through federal, state, and potentially responsible parties' actions. 

Threats and Contaminants

Air was contaminated with pesticides.  Groundwater and soil contained volatile organic compounds and PCBs. Surface water, located in Slocum Drain and Swartz Creek, was contaminated with pesticides. PCBs and paint solvents were present in sludge.  Residents could have been exposed to site-related contaminants through direct contact with contaminated surface water in Slocum Drain and Swartz Creek.  In addition, onsite workers could have been exposed to contaminants if they drank or came into direct contact with contaminated groundwater. 

 

Cleanup Progress

Limited cleanup activities were conducted by Berlin and Farro under a plan submitted to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources from 1978 until 1980, when Berlin and Farro filed for chapter 11 Bankruptcy.  In 1978 and 1981, ownership of the property was transferred to the State for nonpayment of property taxes.  Ten acres of the site remained under the jurisdiction of the Genesee County Circuit Court as a result of a lawsuit filed by the State.  The site was placed on the National Priorities List on September 8, 1983.  U.S. EPA identified more than 125 generators through review of site records.  U.S. EPA, the State, and certain Potentially Responsible Parties undertook surface cleanup actions intermittently from December 1981 though October 1984.  Primary remediation activities through 1984 included the removal of the incinerator facility; removal of five underground tanks containing 10,000 gallons of liquid waste; removal of 4,000 drums; excavation of the agricultural drain; removal of more than one million gallons of contaminated water; removal of 15,300 cubic yards of lagoon sludge contaminated primarily with hexachlorocyclopentadiene (C-56) waste; and removal of 18,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil. These materials were contaminated with, among other hazardous substances, C-series chlorinated organic compounds, PCBs, benzene, and ethylbenzene. 

Final cleanup at the site, including excavation of soils, sediments, and aquifer materials commenced on December 15, 1995, and was completed on April 12, 1996.  Excavated volume from all areas was approximately 69,000 cubic yards.  Excavated areas were backfilled and regraded, using uncontaminated site materials. All excavated material was transported to offsite facilities for disposal. The landfill meets the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Subtitle D and Michigan Act 451 Part 115 requirements for solid waste landfills. The site, which has been graded to enhance development of a wetland, meets standards for unrestricted use.  All soil and groundwater cleanup standards have been met at the site. No contamination was found in any off-site ground water.  The Close Out Report was issued on September 18, 1996. This site was deleted from the National Priorities List on June 24, 1998 and no further cleanup activity or operation and maintenance is planned at the Site.  

Community Involvement

In response to recent concerns raised by local members of the community, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) performed a site inspection on January 30, 2008.  MDEQ coordinated with the Genesee County Health Department to collect several water samples from a private water well in the area as part of a ground water quality investigation.  The samples were collected on January 29, 2008, and analyzed by MDEQ's laboratory for metals, volatile organic compounds, aromatic compounds, pesticides, and general ground water minerals.  EPA has reviewed the test results and concurs with MDEQ's evaluation that all of the results are within federal drinking water standards, with the exception of arsenic.  The arsenic level reported was at a level that is higher than the EPA's maximum contaminant level (MCL); however, it is important to note that the recent sampling results are within what is considered background for ground water in this area of the State of Michigan.  Several minor maintenance issues for the site were identified during MDEQ's site inspection.  EPA is coordinating with MDEQ to ensure that the recommendations are appropriately addressed.  EPA remains cognizant of the issues raised by the community and will continue to coordinate with the MDEQ to address these issues if new information becomes available.

Property Reuse

The State of Michigan transferred the deed to the Site property to Gaines Township after the final cleanup was completed.  The Township requested that the site fence remain in place.

Contacts

Remedial Project Manager, U.S. EPA
linda kern (kern.linda@epa.gov)
(312) 886-7341

Community Involvement Coordinator, U.S. EPA
Don De Blasio
(312) 886-9749

Aliases

BERLIN & FARRO LIQUID INCINERATOR

 

Site Profile Information

This profile provides you with information on EPA's cleanup progress at this Superfund site.